Young Blood
by ShadX3
Summary: As the dark clouds of World War II loom overhead, two sworn enemies have somehow fallen for each other. The War demands them to kill the other, but can they do it? Or will their love prevail? (GermanyXLondon Fanfic, Omegle RP Inspired. A tiny bit of historical inaccuracy, but please give it a chance!)
1. Chapter 1: Should Have Known

_**(Every freaking time I write this, my internet crashes. YOU NEED TO STEP IT UP. **_

_**Anyway, welcome to my first actual decent fanfic! I feel a lot better about this one that ISOS {I'm TRYING people!} Young Blood is the result of Omegle giving me possibly the world's best RP partner, and she supported my decision to turn our idea into an actual fanfiction. I'll be updating YB a lot more than ISOS because the majority of it is already written without editing. It's been a lot easier to work with too. You can all thank my partner for not letting my brain explode whilst writing. I certainly do. Please Read & Review! Writing for ghosts isn't exactly the most thrilling experience, but I live to please. -Shad)**_

_**Young Blood**_

_**Chapter One: Should Have Known**_

For the past twenty minutes, Adolf Hitler had been droning on and on about an alliance offering, his tone sickly sweet and cloying. A black rose studded with poisoned thorns. The small Austrian's brown hair was slicked back and parted impeccably, not a single strand out of place. His mustache writhed upon his lips with each sentence. He was not strong or imposing, yet he demanded attention. He reeked of authority. Hitler's hands were placed on either side of a large stack of signed documents, several detailed maps and charts poured out upon the redwood conference table before him. Seated directly across from him on the opposite end was Winston Churchill. The left side of the table were seated German and Prussian officers, each facing their British counterpart.

Sabine Kirkland wasn't paying attention to any of them, however, despite her brother's blatant warning to listen during the meeting. The personification of London had found a much more interesting subject for her attentions. Her green eyes slipped over him freely as she sipped her glass of champagne, knowing he had no idea she was doing it. Or how much she was enjoying it.

All the silver insignias, down to the belt buckle, were polished until gleaming in the electrical lights overhead. She had no doubts as to whether the blond had stayed up polishing his boots either. She was willing to bet they'd squeak if rubbed together. Any rumors of Prussia's younger brother were silenced in the face of the broad shoulders facing her, toned body pressing against the black material of the SS uniform. Every detail was perfect: the hat, the cross belt, the sharp contrasting red armband, and the matching Iron Cross of course. All of it topped off with a pair of piercing baby blues.

Sabine had yet to hear him utter a single word, or even move, since arriving in Berlin. He and his brother seemed to possess the ability to stand at rigid attention for inhumane amounts of time, the blond behind Hitler and the albino flanking Goebbels. The Germanic nations were both listening intently to their dictator's proposal, all while slowly scanning those in attendance for any sudden movements or threats. They repeated the routine for the remainder of the hour until a short recess was given. Gilbert was led away by Goebbels as an escort, and Arthur accompanied Churchill to a conjoined room to discuss the meeting's offerings.

Sabine stood and moved to the window nearest Germany, looking out over one of the nation's finest cities. Ludwig had stiffened slightly at her sudden close proximity, still not having been released from his assigned post. London sipped at her glass, frowning slightly.

"This is possibly the weakest alcohol I've ever had in my life." She murmured to herself, and much to her surprise, the soldier at her side answered.

"We're not allowed to bring the strong stuff in here. It's against regulations." Only the side of his mouth moved, accent hardening his whisper.

"So the statue does speak," She said with a pleased smile, voice quiet. They weren't supposed to be conversing, and keeping a silent appearance would work in both their favors. "Then where exactly do you keep the stronger kind?"

"I could probably show you after the conference... If you can handle it. From what I've heard, you Britons don't exactly have the strongest of stomachs."

"Oh.. I've had strong liquor before. Whiskey, rum... And when Russia visited, we were given some very strong vodka that I came to like. But your challenge is accepted, sir." She smiled and finished her champagne. Ludwig didn't reply, instead looking pointedly in the direction of the returning leaders. Sabine hurried back to her seat, now much more enthused about the meeting, which ended within a few more hours. A few words were exchanged between the officers before they left, and the Britons exited soon after. Sabine and Arthur passed Ludwig, the former with a curious glance and the latter with a dismissive air.

Hitler glanced over at Ludwig after finishing his conversation with Goebbels. "You have your orders." The Germanic nation straightened his back even further and brought his heels together with a single click before turning and exiting. As he moved towards the exit of the building, he signaled to a waiting Sabine to follow. She herself was wondering how this "drinking challenge" would go down. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of the German. After all, he was cute.

Ludwig slowed his pace so that she could keep up with him. Some tiny part of his mind wondered just what, exactly, he was thinking, but he ignored it. It wasn't everyday he was able to take out a girl for drinks, even less often one who knew who and what he was. Female nations were rare in and of themselves.

"There's a bar about three blocks from here, if you're up for a walk." He offered, adjusting his black officer's hat after holding open the door for her. She cast a glance down at her heels before answering.

"I think a walk will be nice," She answered, hoping they wouldn't be too overdressed for the place he had in mind. After all, she was clothed in a formal black dress that went just below her knees, and he was wearing his military uniform. The German didn't seem bothered though, and allowed himself a rare smile.

"So.. We haven't actually formally met. I am Sabine Kirkland, also known as London." She introduced herself with a smile, giving a slight bow as they kept moving. As they walked Sabine went to the task of unpinning her hair from the bun of the meeting. After pulling out a number of pins, her long, light brown hair cascaded down past her shoulders.  
"I am Ludwig Beilschmidt, also known as Deutschland... Germany, at your service."

"Nice to meet you, Ludwig." She said, trying out his name.

"Same with you, Sabine." Their destination swarmed into view upon turning the next corner and there was an almost imperceptible quickening in Ludwig's pace. Guess the stereotypes really were true. The German held the door open for her as he had been raised before letting it close behind them and moving towards the bar. Sabine stayed close to him, looking around the place with interest.

"It's quite like the pubs back home." Her accent was highly visible now in the sea of German, almost painfully so.

Ludwig chuckled. "Maybe at first glance. Just wait until the waitresses come out." He slid onto a stool, muscular arms resting on the counter top. As if on cue, a waitress materialized dressed in a traditional uniform. In other words, a short green and white dress with a low cut neckline. Ludwig glanced over at Sabine.

"So... You said you wanted to try something strong, Ja?" There was a devilish smile and a twinkling of blue eyes. Then he ordered. It was two of the strongest German beers on the menu. The waitress smiled and darted away. Sabine grabbed the stool next to the German, fear momentarily showing in her eyes at seeing the look on his face, before composing herself and answering.

"Aye.. I wanted to try something strong... and I don't see many similarities to pubs back home anymore..." There was a slight knot in her stomach and she really hoped she didn't embarrass herself in front of him. His expression softened at her nervous look, but he offered no words of comfort. It wasn't his strong point. The waitress returned with two large mugs of bubbling golden alcohol, akin to liquid fire. Sabine looked at the mug placed in front of her, bringing her hand up to grip the handle. She muttered something in a strange sounding language before bringing the mug to her lips and taking a large gulp.

"You might not want to-" Ludwig began, wincing as she took increasingly large gulps. "That's not good for-" He sighed when she began hacking, and took a drink of his own, feeling himself warm up as it slid down his throat.

"Bloody hell..." Sabine spluttered, leaning against the bar.

"I knew I was right about the whole 'handling alcohol' thing." There was an amused note in his voice, hand laced around his own frosted mug.

"Ack.. You be quiet over there, German. It's a foreign alcohol... Give me a bit to get used to it." She said forcefully, a bit more of a Scottish accent coming into her voice. She brought the mug to her lips again, this time taking more moderate drinks. Ludwig laughed softly while shaking his head, bringing the mug to his lips once more. He was gradually beginning to relax, the initial stress of the meeting wearing off with each drink.

There was a companionable silence between the pair, occasionally broken by one or two words here and there. More humans were gradually streaming in, and their attention shifted between three terrible-quality televisions bolted to the wall above the bar. Two were playing the fuzzy highlights of a recent soccer game, and the one in the center was delivering the day's news in German. Ludwig payed little attention to either of them, instead finding his eyes occasionally panning over to Sabine before he regained control of himself and focused once more.

Sabine was much the same. She wasn't interested in the football teams, since they weren't her precious own, and she couldn't understand German very well, so she gave up trying to listen to the news. She also found her eyes occasionally drifting over towards the handsome German, but then she went back to her drink, now actually quite fond of this German beer.  
The male stiffened beside her, piercing blue gaze frozen to the middle screen, beloved beer abandoned. The conversation in the room quieted drastically, many of the occupants' attention focused on the footage of the earlier meeting playing. There was no view inside the conference room - only of two SS soldiers flanking the closed door - but whatever was being said put Ludwig at a loss for words. The footage shifted to a slightly shaking view of Germany and Prussia entering the building directly behind their leader, black uniforms impeccable. No one in the bar seemed to realize that the blond was sitting amongst them, though. The story went on for a while before Ludwig relaxed, and the story changed to the night's weather report.

"They said the conference has not reached a unanimous vote, which means we're still neutral. We'll probably have another meeting scheduled for around... mid next week."

"Maybe that means we can come drinking again sometime.." Sabine said softly, giving a slight smile before draining the last bit of the liquid from her mug. "I quite like this stuff."

"Ja," Ludwig replied, placing a few bills atop the check before it was whisked away by the waitress. "I'd like that."

She smiled, glancing at him quickly and hoping that blush wasn't showing on her cheeks. She then hopped off her stool and tried to stand, but swayed and stumbled slightly, muttering curses. His brow creased with slight worry at her struggle.

"Er... I don't think it'd be such a good idea to walk back to your hotel. I'll call a cab and help you there. No offense, but I don't want you getting out there in that state as late as it is."

"I guess it was a bit stronger than I thought..." She mumbled, then giggled. Ludwig took note of her slightly slurred speech and helped her to the door, using an arm wrapped around her waist to steady the wobbly Briton. They stood together on the corner, a light snow beginning to cascade down, despite the unusually warmer temperature. A pair of headlights drifted towards the pair, and the German flagged down the taxi. The yellow vehicle pulled to the curb and Ludwig leaned down to the window, giving the driver directions to the hotel that had been assigned to all the officer's he'd had to escort before opening the back door for Sabine and helping her inside, then sliding in next to her and shutting the door.

She giggled again and said "Oh, Iggy is gonna hate this..." Then without thinking she leaned against the muscular German next to her, resting her head on his shoulder. Ludwig stiffened slightly, knowing the alcohol was performing its magic, but still reddening nonetheless. Luckily, the cab driver was more interested in navigating the traffic than the German's awkward situation. Maybe he should have stopped Sabine after her fourth...

She was about to say something, but ended up half falling asleep against him. Feeling her weight shift slightly, the German glanced down at her. She was very beautiful, he had to admit.

_Maybe this would... No. Stop. Stop right now. Relationships with business partners are nonprofessional and... Oh, who am I kidding?_ Ludwig began clamping down on his thoughts, and the cab drove on silently in the night. After around ten minutes, the vehicle pulled up near the lobby of the expensive hotel. Ludwig paid the driver and lightly tapped Sabine on the shoulder, somewhat startling her out of her haze and helping her out. She looked at him with bleary green eyes, then shook her head in attempt to clear her thoughts. She got out of the cab and half stumbled to the door of the hotel, Ludwig following close behind.

"So... um. W-where's your, er, room?" Ludwig seemed at a loss for words as he trailed Sabine into the lobby, unwilling to let the poor girl wander around and get lost in her drunken haze. His good intentions were going to kill him, however, and it seemed that God had decided that today was the day. The German nation looked incredibly awkward standing before her, not that she noticed.

She half stumbled into him, one hand landing on his chest, then with the other she reached up and gently patted his cheek.

"I think I got it from here, love..." She said fairly clearly, before pushing off of him and walking over to the corner. She turned around and mumbled something before disappearing down the hall. Ludwig waited until she vanished before slapping a palm to his face and groaning. He should have known...

No English personifications could handle their alcohol.


	2. Chapter 2: Song In The Dark

_**Young Blood**_

_**Chapter Two: Song In The Dark**_

Ludwig's headache was going to kill him.

Hitler seemed to think he was some kind of ultimate machine that could run without fuel for days on end. The Austrian had sent him around to practically every officer in each division of the military, set him in meetings for hours on end back to back to back, each one in an entirely different city. Ludwig must have seen each and every inch of his country fourteen times in the past week. He'd maybe had six hours of sleep in the last three days, and he was definitely beginning to feel it. His paperwork was blurring beneath his gaze.

It had been about a month since the bar, and he and Sabine had managed to meet up a few times in between. Their friendship was growing at an almost alarming rate, but it was supposed to. A good relationship between them would help aid the alliance, if it was formed, which he doubted. Churchill didn't seem too enthused about Hitler's offer, and Ludwig didn't blame him. He was starting to question the man himself, even though he'd never admit it out loud. His motives just seemed a little off.

As Ludwig struggled to complete the stack of paperwork awaiting his input, he kept hearing a slight buzzing in his ears. At first, he thought it was a bug and swatted at the area around his head. It didn't stop. He sighed and looked up. He was in one of Hitler's many offices around Berlin, this current one having been assigned as the temporary headquarters of the Britons. Goebbels had vanished down the hall for a meeting a few minutes ago, and Ludwig doubted he'd be back any time soon, so he decided to explore and figure out just what exactly that noise was.

The blond pushed back his chair and stood, listening intently and heading in the direction the sound was coming from. As he neared, he realized the sound was music. A cello, if his instincts were correct. A fan of Austria? He eventually stopped in front of the oak door the music was playing behind. Curiosity got the better of him and he knocked. The music abruptly stopped, and was followed by a short clatter before the door opened.

"I don't care what you say, I'm going to keep playing the da- Oh, hello Ludwig." The familiar brunette smiled at him, paying no attention to her previous outburst. Ludwig himself was a bit taken aback, but kept the expression off his face. "Can I help you?"

"Well, I was just doing some paperwork and I kept hearing music. I was wondering if you were the one playing?"

Sabine smiled softly. "Aye.. I play cello to calm my nerves or... really whenever I feel the need to express myself. I-I know it might sound stupid, but..." She trailed off, blushing slightly.

"Oh, not at all. Trust me, after living with Prussia, _nothing_ sounds stupid anymore." He reassured her.

"I do lots of things to try and express myself... I just don't seem to be that great with words all the time. So I resort to painting, drawing, writing, and music... But that's a lot of pointless information to you..." She mumbled, looking at the floor.

"It isn't pointless," He said softly. "I'm just not good at... that stuff."

"I could try to teach you... if you want." She gave a slight smile when she looked up, a slight blush still dusting her cheeks. "Or I could just... show you some of my work."

"I think we can stick to you just showing me." Ludwig vaguely remembered something... _artistic..._ about his past, but it was from the childhood that was nothing but fogginess to him. Trying to rediscover that side of himself only caused the memories to become more jumbled, and he honestly did not want to go through that in front of her.

Sabine gently tugged him into the room that she had claimed as her own, closing the door behind him, then proceeded to show him some paintings and drawings, notebooks packed with her writing, and then her beloved cello. The normally fierce blue eyes softened when they took in the sheer amount of work, though seeing the cello brought back a random memory from when Gilbert and Roderich had gotten into a fight about music. He closed his eyes when she began to play, allowing the notes to surround him. She smiled when she saw him and played whatever came to mind, then she slipped into a song where she sang along, voice drifting over, but complementing the cello. Ludwig's head turned towards the sound of her voice, eyes remaining closed. He had never really been much of a musical person, mostly trying to reject anything Roderich tried to do with him ever since The Beethoven Incident, but it was nice to get back to his roots.

Sabine finished the song, then stopped playing quite abruptly, dropping the cello's bow with a clatter as it hit the hardwood floor. Ludwig's eyes snapped open, alert and in the process of moving to a standing position. He had been under too many surprise attacks to not react instinctively.

"I'm so sorry!" Sabine immediately apologized, bending to pick up the dropped bow with an apologetic look. She then proceeded to put the cello away before sitting in the chair across from him.

Ludwig shook his head, coming back to his senses and slowly sitting back down. A long scar just under his ribs was throbbing, a reminder of what could have just happened. He didn't close his eyes again. "It's not your fault. Just... instincts, is all."

Sabine stayed over where she was, hugging her knees to her chest and biting her lip hard. Her right shoulder was throbbing and for some reason she was feeling very uncomfortable around the German. _Could this be the onset of depression again? S_he wondered.

"Maybe I should go for another jog to get more endorphins flowing..." That was when Sabine realized that she had muttered the thought aloud.

"Why would you need to do that?" A somewhat startled note hid within the German's voice. By now, his arm had come across his abdomen, as if he were crossing his arms, but he was adding pressure to the old wound to try and get it to calm itself.

Sabine looked up at Ludwig and took a deep breath before starting "I...I suffer from depression.. Like Sir Winston Churchill. In fact a loose rumor is that I share his depression. But I go for jogs to try and lessen the effects..." She trailed off again, feeling sorry for herself and wondering what the German's reaction would be.

The Germanic nation was silent for a while. "...I think we all do. Our pasts never leave us like the mortals. We're all haunted in different ways."

She smiled sadly, then stood up and tried flexing her shoulder. "My depression is quite severe, though... Going with the theory, I think I take on a lot of Sir Churchill's depression for him so he can think straight for all these deals. And I'm sorry about startling you like that. I just wanted to.. I don't know, impress you. Or at least not look like a fool in front of such a handsome man."

She cut herself off and blushed. _She did actually just say that?_ "I-I'm sorry.. I-I didn't mean..." Sabine stopped herself. If the 'relationship', however minimal, between them was affected or even ruined, there wasn't any way to really fix it.

"No, no, it-it's fine, it's just I... I mean... _Schiesse._" Ludwig's broad shoulders sank with his sigh. _Why are you so bad at stuff like this? _He stared at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. "You... You did impress me. It's just... You're really great and beautif- Gott, I need to shut up before I become a blabbering mess."

"Oh, Ludwig.." She blushed, knowing exactly what he had been about to say, and came closer, putting a delicate hand lightly on his shoulder. "That's very bold of you... And I don't think you could become a blabbering mess. That's more likely to be me."

"Yeah, well..." Ludwig finished, cheeks tinted slightly red. He made no move to reject the touch, he didn't move at all actually. They were both laid out on the table. Only thing left to decide was what to do with the cards. Sabine bit her lip, wondering if she should try to... No, that probably wouldn't work. Her hand momentarily tightened on his shoulder before she pulled it back, blushing. Ludwig averted his gaze, the tension in the room making way for awkwardness.

In another bold move, Sabine stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. Ludwig slowly turned his head so that their lips met, feeling his heart flutter upon contact. Sabine's heart fluttered as well. She gave a soft gasp of surprise at the lip contact, but didn't break it and tentatively put a hand on his cheek.

At that moment, they both threw caution to the wind. Ludwig reached out and pulled her closer at the same time Sabine's arms snaked around his neck, twining her fingers in his hair. The blond shivered at the touch, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. More like butterflies dancing across his skin. Ludwig's hands held Sabine at her waist, thumbs brushing against the few centimeters of skin revealed by her shirt. Sabine unconsciously messed up the German's hair, kissing him and keeping herself close against his muscular chest. Ludwig felt his hair falling out of place, but was beyond the point of caring. All he knew was the warmth Sabine was giving him, and this irresistible bliss surrounding him. Besides, they still had at least an hour until the meeting was over... Right?  
Sabine pressed her chest closer against his, shifting slightly to kiss his neck, hands still in his hair. A small sound of pleasure escaped the German's lips, and he tilted his head to allow her full access to the sensitive area. His hands trailed up her back, pressing between her shoulder blades. Sabine smirked against his neck when she heard the groan, then continued; kissing down to his collarbone, then back up his neck and along his jawline.

"Sabine..." Ludwig somehow managed to say. "You... You greatly overestimate my self-control."

"I'm not looking for self-control." Her voice was low, eyes staring into his darkly. Then there was a seductive smile. "I was a pirate at one point. Blame it on that."

He didn't look away from her eyes, a barely masked lust-filled spark gleaming in his own blue orbs. "Well if you want to play it that way..." In less than a second, his mouth was on hers, their tongues wrestling for dominance. One of his hands stroked the small of her back, the other against the nape of her neck. Sabine arched her back slightly, a soft moan escaping her lips. She placed one hand on his chest, fisting his shirt.

Neither of them heard the door open, but they both jerked apart at the loud whistle that sounded. "Damn Ludwig. I knew you were supposed to form an alliance, but I didn't realize it was _that _kind of an alliance."

Gilbert's cocky smile absorbed any words the pair could have said. Besides, the evidence spoke for itself. They were both still tangled in eachother's arms, staring at him open-mouthed and wide-eyed. His smile didn't disappear as Sabine climbed off of Ludwig, both of them beet red. Ludwig looked like he wanted to say something but ended up just closing his mouth and attempting to smooth his hair back before standing. Sabine straightened her clothes while staring at the ground. The albino widened the door to allow his brother escape into the hallway before giving a cheerful goodbye to the brunette. His victorious laughter could be heard all the way to the parking lot.

"Ah, young love."


	3. Chapter 3: Haunted

_**(Hello and welcome back to Young Blood! In this chapter, we will descend further into the main storyline. Most of which is filled with sadness, confessions, and battles with male instinct. Sorry for the later post, as EOCs and exams are until next week. In the next chapter you'll be getting some action! World War II, here we come. Review and I might release it a bit earlier, Hint Hint. -Shad)**_

_**Young Blood**_

_**Chapter Three: Haunted**_

"You're going to love this."

"You sound awfully sure."

Sitting in the car, Sabine fussed with her jacket. Ludwig had kept their destination a secret, not to mention the surprise journey. She honestly hadn't thought he'd be up for something like this, due to his increasing amount of meetings with his council. She'd hardly seen him in the past week. According to one of his earlier tales, Hitler had been sending him to so many different places that Ludwig had arrived late to the Austrian's own meeting. Hitler hadn't given any indication of his anger, at least until the meeting was adjourned. The night concluded with Ludwig being screamed at for three hours by a man nearly a foot shorter than him.

Ever since Gilbert had discovered their secret, he'd behaved a little differently. Of course there were still the usual blush-inducing jabs at their _"alliance" _and the occasional suggestive look, but he'd kept his mouth shut. None of their partners knew about the blossoming relationship. Not even Arthur. Which was an amazingly good thing, because if Arthur new, everyone would know. He'd never been good with secrets, especially when there was alcohol around.

"I should show you some of the cars we Brits make," Sabine said, running a finger appreciatively across the dash. "Granted, they're not the same as what your people craft, but you might like that. Sometimes change is good."

She was contemplating putting her feet on the dash, but thinking better of it. Instead, she let her head fall back against the head rest and looked out the passenger side window. Ludwig focused on navigating through the massive amounts of traffic all fighting to get to the same place. There was a hard frown set upon his face when a car cut in front of him. Soon enough though, he was able to break away and get to the center of Berlin. There were people everywhere, talking and gawking at the massive structures lit up in magnificent displays of color. Light washed over the buildings and people, causing the scenery to have an almost fairy-tale appearance.

Sabine kept staring out the window, now fascinated by all the colors. "It's beautiful..." She breathed, feeling slightly childish.

Ludwig smiled, parking the car. "It's much better up close. Come on." He stuffed the keys back in his pocket and got out, closing the door behind him.

Sabine climbed out of the car and caught up with Ludwig, staying fairly close to him due to the amount of people around. The pair walked around, following the general direction of the crowd to avoid getting trampled. The beautiful lights began to thin out after a while and the pair ended up on the middle of a bridge overlooking a river and the lights. She stared at the lights in wonderment still feeling a bit childish in her excitement over the situation. She stood next to Ludwig on the bridge, arm brushing his, as she gripped the bridge's railing and smiled, watching the lights and general events going on.  
Ludwig stared down at the reflections of the lights in the dark water, feeling his own heart swell with the happiness of all his people. The more logistic side of his mind was thinking about the final meeting that was to happen tomorrow. Would Churchill accept? He doubted it. The English representatives had been uncertain the entire session. But what did that mean for him and Sabine?

Sabine had no such thoughts in her head, but she did feel a slight melancholy tugging at her heart. Maybe it was Churchill making his decision, or something to do with the people of London. She tried to ignore that, though, and focus on the happiness she felt now.

"So how was your meeting?" Ludwig's voice unexpectedly broke through the content silence.

She blinked and turned to look at him. "Quite tedious... I find it pointless for me to be there, but they insist that I attend."

His voice was somewhat guarded when he replied. "It's so you know what's going on before its all just dumped on you... Makes it easier to handle."

The happy light faded from Sabine's eyes at hearing his tone. "You're worried about the final meeting tomorrow, aren't you? Wondering if we'll be allies or enemies." Her tone took on a slightly sad note.

Ludwig was silent for a few moments. "I'm not _wondering_... I know for certain. Maybe it's because you're a capitol, not a country. But I can feel it. I'm sure Arthur can too." He kept the emotion out of his voice.

Her face fell as she softly. "What will that mean for us?" The question had to be asked, though she feared the answer.  
"I don't know... But I'm not going to hurt you. If it comes to that, I refuse." His blue eyes were steeled and determined.

"If we're enemies I don't there's much of a choice..." She muttered bitterly, lip curling slightly.

"Then I'll stall them as long as I can." Ludwig said, turning to face her. A militaristic gaze replaced his normal intense one, a sign that his leaders were conferencing.

"I doubt stalling them will change the outcome.. But it's a sweet offer." Sabine said, looking back out at the water.

"Hitler will listen. The Chancellor is about six hundred years younger than I am. He trusts my judgment, even if it is intentionally misleading." He said.

A slight spark came into Sabine's eyes and she said "Maybe Iggy and I can try and convince Sir Churchill.."  
Ludwig shook his head. "I don't want you getting any deeper than you have too."

Now there was determination shining in her eyes. "It's worth a try. And I doubt doing only what I have to will make much of a difference... I still might get hurt either way."

Ludwig controlled himself from shouting. He knew what Hitler was planning. He knew that with or without England, they were going to begin World War II. But he couldn't tell her. He could only try his best to protect her. The determined look faded as Sabine exhaled and leaned against the bridge's railing, a feeling in her chest causing her to rethink her previously stated plan.

"Let's just... worry about it when we get there. It won't do anyone any good to get stressed out before the meeting even begins." His halfhearted attempt at changing the subject was a miserable failure. Sabine stayed leaning against the railing, staring ahead blankly as she was caught up in her thoughts. They should make the most of tonight, since tomorrow they could be enemies. Ludwig was having similar thoughts. He looked out over the water at the lights again, knowing this was one of the last things of beauty he could offer her before their world became one of fire and blood.

She threw herself forward and wrapped both her arms around one of his, mumbling "I don't want to be enemies with you, Ludwig... I-I.. I love you."  
Ich liebe dich, Sabine. Ich liebe dich"Ludwig returned, pulling her into his embrace.

"Ich liebe dich.." Sabine said, too. "I wish there was an interesting way for me to say I love you, but I'm English... And you sound sexy saying that.." She giggled slightly and repeated the German.

Ludwig chuckled softly. "Then I'll say it again." He kissed her softly before breaking apart. "Ich liebe dich."

Sabine smiled, looking up at him, asking "What are we going to do now?"

"Make tonight last." He said with a small smile.

She reached up and kissed his lips, then pulled back and took his hand, tugging him back towards the lights. Ludwig trotted alongside her dutifully, allowing himself to be dragged along.

His actions strongly reminded her of that of a dog. Feeling playful, Sabine stopped, turning to Ludwig, and patted his head. "You are a good boy, Ja?" she said with her best impersonation of a German accent.

Ludwig frowned, but it was more of a don't-you-dare-smile-I-swear-to-God frown. He gave a clearly not-amused sigh but decided to entertain her further. "Arf." He said in the most monotonous voice possible.

Her eyes lit up and she kissed his lips again, then she grinned and spoke jokingly, though clearly amused. "Shall we go get you a collar?"

"If you buy me a collar, I swear to God I will push you into that river." He said, frowning even deeper at her amusement.

Sabine pouted. "Fine.. You choose something to do, then."

"Hmm... We could always head back to your hotel and finish where we left off." He said, an unmistakable glint in his eyes.

"If you're sure..." She said, looking at him. A slight shiver went down her spine seeing that look.

Ludwig smiled slyly, knowing the effect he had just had on her. He decided to play with her a little. "Or we could always stay here and just... Wander..."

She shivered again. "N-no, let's head back."

He took her hand, and they merged back into the crowd.

* * *

Ludwig glanced over at her, now starting to rethink his suggestion a little. He let out a small breath and proceeded to enter the lobby and head towards their rooms. Once inside, Sabine let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and glanced at Ludwig. When they entered her room, he closed the door behind them and leaned against it. Sabine drifted over by him and nuzzled into his chest. Ludwig's arms came up around her, holding her tightly against him. An almost protective move.

"I fear what tomorrow will bring.." She mumbled softly. "I don't want to be your enemy, Ludwig." Her voice seemed fragile, breaking on his name.  
Ludwig felt his heart shatter at her words. His voice was nearly shaking when he spoke. "I don't want to lose you."

She gripped handfuls of his shirt, trembling. "I don't want to lose you either.."

Ludwig tilted her head up and kissed her, a kiss so full of sorrow and pain that it almost broke them. Images flickered through his head, the majority of them transmitted to Sabine. His battles, victories and losses, shot through his mind. World War I. Barely surviving, driven to his knees. His suffering. They almost seemed to ask if she really wanted this. Really wanted _him. _

Sabine shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut, which forced tears out of her brimming eyes. She kissed him harder, tugging on his shirt unconsciously. Ludwig felt his heart thudding in his chest as his did his best to shove his torment out of his mind. But he couldn't. He was trapped. He was suffocating. He was drowning. He was- Ludwig broke the kiss, looking down. He shuddered and closed his eyes, trembling slightly against her.  
"Oh, honey..." Sabine breathed. She kissed him again, tentatively, as if she was afraid he would break if pushed to hard. Ludwig placed his hand on top of hers, lifting his haunted gaze to meet her own. She looked back at him, compassion showing in her green eyes that masked a slight haunted look of her own.  
"A-are you sure you want this?" His voice was agonized, but he held himself together. Maybe with tape and glue, but he did it. He may have been beaten, but he was not broken.

"There's nothing I want more... I will stay with you until you don't want me anymore. And even then, I'm sure I'd still be there for you. I love you, Ludwig." Sabine said softly.

His reply was a tired smile. "I'm glad the feeling is mutual."  
She smiled softly and tugged him over to the couch, where she sat down and pulled his head into her lap, alternating between stroking his hair and cheek. Ludwig found himself relaxing, her touch soothing his frayed nerves and sending his memories back into the shadows. Sabine kept stroking his face, smiling softly to herself. As long as he was calm, she could ignore the small pain in her chest at the thought of losing him.

They were left in silence for a while, until Ludwig found himself fighting to keep his eyes open. "If you keep doing that, I'm going to fall asleep." He said quietly.

"Well you do need the sleep... Maybe we should move to the bed so you can be more comfortable." She murmured softly, pausing with her fingers in his hair. Ludwig's eyes widened slightly. Was she suggesting that they...? No, she couldn't be..._ Right?_ But what if she was. Oh, what if she was...

She looked down at him. "Is something wrong?"  
"Oh, u-um... N-no." _Smooth, _he thought. _Real smooth. _

"You didn't sound very sure there.. You can tell me if something is wrong, love." Sabine said softly, still looking down at him. "Just... Thinking about your offer, that's all." Technically, it wasn't a lie. More of a half-truth.

"Let me know when you come to your answer." She worked to keep her voice neutral, noticing the effect she was having on him, and went back to stroking his hair and face.

Ludwig swallowed. Why was she doing this to him? Couldn't she see that he became a pathetic melting mess of a man at her touch?! "Th-That'd be nice, actually." He somehow managed to squeak.

Sabine was oblivious to the squeak and smiled, then stood up and pulled him gently over to the bed. Ludwig followed a bit dazed. He was still reeling from his brain's earlier explosion, and failed to see the most-certain provocative trap she was leading him into. Or maybe that was just his general maleness acting up.

She pulled back the covers, then climbed onto the bed, pulling him with her. She sat leaning against the headboard and pulled his head into her lap again, resuming stroking his hair and face.

"You know..." Ludwig began, looking up at her. "You attempting to lull me to sleep is not what I thought would happen today when I woke up this morning."

"I didn't expect this either.." Sabine said softly, looking back down at him with a small smile gracing her lips. "If you don't mind my asking.. What did you think would happen?"

"Oh, um... Stuff." He said, sitting up. Her touch was blurring his thoughts together.

She chuckled softly and kept stroking his face and hair. "I suppose it doesn't matter now.. But you should sleep now. I can even sing you a lullaby if you want."

"N-no, I don't think that's necessary." Ludwig stuttered. "...And could you st-stop... You're driving me... crazy." When she did, he smirked. "My turn."

Their lips met, and he took her breath away.


	4. NOT A CHAPTER UPDATE

Before you throw things at me angrily,

I'M TRYING! My laptop keeps having these seizure things and I can't post a proper document until I get that fixed. It's also messing up my email really bad. Plus I just got back from the Riverbend Festival and I'm exhausted, and in a week I'm leaving for my condo for a while. So please be patient with the newest YB chapter.

BUT, I do have a possibly upcoming story about my newest OC, Tennessee. Maybe I'll be able to write that one when this is fixed.

-Shad


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